Consulting firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu plans to increase its number of employees in India to 12,000 over the next three years. Deloitte Asia Pacific CEP Chaly Mah says: “We are planning to increase our headcount to 12,000 people by 2011, from 8,500 at present. The hiring would be focused mainly in our advisory business.”

Deloitte’s consulting business needs to respond to the growing demand for advisory services as more companies are seeking advice on cost cutting and other issues resulting from the economic crisis.

Deloitte has already hired more than 2,000 people in India in the past year. Deloitte member firms hired a total of 45,000 staff in fiscal year 2008.

The consultancy’s global CEO James H. Quigley says: “India is a strong growth market for us and we remain confident of our hiring plans in the country… Notwithstanding slower growth predictions, growth of around 5.6 percent is impressive and it is still important that Indian companies consider global expansion and globalise in a smart way - planning growth around people as part of their business strategy.”

The key to expansion and long term sustainable growth, according to Deloitte, is finding new customers, suppliers, new skilled staff.